Eigg Crowdfunder success

Crowdfunders do take a significant amount of time and work, but when executed well, can have impacts far greater than funding.

HIEF were delighted to collaborate with Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust on their recent Tree Nursery crowdfunding campaign. In April 2026, they successfully raised £30,652 from over 250 generous supporters.

HIEF provided an initial match funding of £7,000. Further funding was secured from Aviva Community Fund, who matched any donations up to the value of £250.

The final breakdown was:
HIEF: £7,000
Aviva Community Fund: £10,971
The crowd: £12,681

A number of generously donated rewards further incentivised public donations. This included music, accommodation, clothing, plant pots, books, whisky, and artwork.

Above all else, the campaign demonstrated the wide-reaching support for the Eigg Tree Nursery, whose work will continue to significantly benefit communities and the natural environment and communities.
Thank you to everyone who donated, shared the word, and played a part in creating positive and lasting change.

In their words

“The campaign was a huge success. It was totally overwhelming to get the first target so quickly – we hit £14k by day two. What was surprising was hitting that target with under 100 donors; our average donation was around £50, which was much higher than the £15 we expected. In the end, the crowdfunder brought in triple what we would have got if we had just taken direct funding.

It has also massively raised our profile, resulting in tree orders from as far away as Uist because people saw the BBC coverage. Most importantly, it has given us a strong base of support who believe in our work, which really strengthens our case when we apply for future funding.

HIEF brought us together with a crowdfunder expert which really helped us with planning and preparing for the crowdfunder before launch day. Louis from HIEF gave us a lot of help and support, and was absolutely invaluable in the run up to launch day and the first week or two – from help with the crowdfunder video to getting the word out to our supporters”

Tamsin Ogle, Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust

Images courtesy of Isle of Eigg Tree Nursery